Author Archives: Andy Lay

Here in the Yorkshire Dales we are blessed with a rich heritage of natural flora and fauna, as well as a stunningly beautiful place to live and work. However, if we’d like to keep it that way, we probably all … Continued

Gardens aren’t just for gardeners – gardens are for everyone. What is a garden? Well, one often used definition is that of “an enclosed space near a house used for the planned growing of flowering plants, fruit or vegetables”. However, … Continued

If you followed my advice last year and bought a pot grown Christmas tree, or have previously done so, sooner or later you’ll be looking for a space in your garden for it, and all gardens benefit from a tree … Continued

Every Thursday during November and December we’ll be open for late night shopping until 8pm, serving complementary home made mulled wine to our customers. From 12th November we’ll also be offering a very special festive evening menu for discerning diners … Continued

Gardeners may all dream of having acres to landscape in the style of Capability Brown, or a large town garden to give the Chelsea show garden treatment to, but for most of us that’s all it is – a dream. … Continued

Gardening tips? Easy to roll out a few seasonal “what to do now”s, or “which plants look good in May”, like every other advice column. I’m not convinced that approach is interesting to anyone other than … Continued

Cooler days, chilly nights and trees dressed in their russet, orange and fiery red shortly to depart leaves all herald the end of summer and the coming of winter. Autumn, traditionally, was the time to plant. This was largely due … Continued

I haven’t personally counted them, but over 400,000 species of plant exist in the world, which are known by somewhere around 1.5 million scientific names. At Lay of the Land we regularly get asked for plants which are native to … Continued

Isn’t it brilliant when you feel the first warm rays of sunshine occasionally, even in February! Even better when the sun is falling on a little clump of snowdrops reflecting the light back at you from their cheerful little nodding … Continued